William s



(No'Model.) I Y W. S. THAYER.

GAR GOUPLVING." No. 286.745. Patented Oct. 16, 1883.

INVENTOR WITPESSES N PETERS mwumgmpmn Wawy-mm D c UNITE-D STATES PATENT Gwinn,

AWILLIAMS. THAYER, on .owned nnw vonk.

CAR-OUPUNG.

SPECIFICATION forming erencebeing had to the annexed drawings,

making a part of this specification, and to the letters and figures of reference marked there- Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of my invention, Fig. 2, a detail view of the rock-shaft or crank-lever; Fig. 3, a similar -view of one of the bumpers; and Fig. 4, a detail view of the strengthening-piece, havingy its ends grooved or corrugated upon their inner sides.'

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in that class of devices 'designed to assist in the coupling of railway- Acars, so as to render it unnecessary for the brakeman or train-hand to go between the cars for the purpose of adjusting the connecting-link; and the object of the present invention is to providea device of the above-named character that may be readily attached to cars of the general and ordinary construction, either now in use or in the process of manufacture, with but little additional 'expense or trouble, and which will at the same time -be easy and certain in its operation, while by its useaccidents occurring in adjusting the connectinglink of cars by hand may be avoided. These objects I attain by the construction substantially as shown in the accompanying drawings and hereinafter more fully described.

In the accompanying drawings, A represents a rock-shaft or crank-lever formed from an iron rod in such amanner that each end thereof terminates in a handle or crank, a, while its central portion is made u shaped, on the same plan as the vertical portion of the said handles or cranks. handle or crankrests in a groove or corrugation, c, formed in the bumpers B at or `near `the centers, where they `join the strengtheningpiece or sill C of the car, and when at rest the 1-shaped portion of the shaft or lever hangs The upper portion, b, of eachv part of Letters 'Patent No. 286,745, dated October 16;, 1883.

Application tiled September 6, 18825. (No model.) i'

verticallybeneath thedraw-headD,sa-id groove or corrngation in the bulnpers, when made of wood, being bushed with a metallic material to prevent wear, and at the same time give a smooth, free bearing for the shaft or lever, thoughif the bumpers are of metal the grooves or corrugations are either cast therewith or cut therein, as may be most convenient.

Though I have more particularly described Y the groove or corrugation as being formed in the bumpers, I do not wish to limit myself to ysuch construction, as in some cases a stringer' or strengthening-piece, F, is placed between the bumpers and the car, and in such an instance said stringer or strengthening-piece would have its ends grooved or corrugated upon the inner sides, next the car. This manner of construction may be found preferable, as the farther thecrod or lever is secured from the front of the draw-head the nearer its Ll portion will come thereto when raising the link. The| -shaped portion of the rock-shaft or crank-leverA is made of such a length that it will just miss the bottom of the draw-head when used to raise the link E, this operation being accomplished by taking hold of either handle a and turning the same in a direction toward the approaching car.

It will be noticed that by forming the rod composing the rock-shaft or crank-lever into handles or cranks, beginning at the upward termination of thc IJ -shaped portion thereof, said portion, when raised', assumes such an angle as to render it impossible to catch the same between the colliding draw-heads when coupling, as, if the person performing this operation does not let go of the crank the instant l 2. The bumpers of a ear, having formed therein, at or near their Centers, Where they join the strengthening-piece or sill, a groove or oorrugation, in Combination with a roek- 4. The Stringer or strigthening-pieee of a railway-oar, having its ends grooved or corrugated upon their inner sides, in Combination with a roekshaft or crank-lever having its central portion i.; shaped, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that I olai n1 the above I have hereunto subscribed inyname in the presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM S. ',FI'IA'XYER.

1\f'itnesses:

J. B. VITHERELM (l. M. HAYWoon. 

